Sheet folding



Oct. 16, 1945. J. w. CORDELL 7 5,

Y SHEET FOLDING Filed April 24, 1944 JOHN DOE 3 II3ELLISONAVE. 4

CHICAGO, ILL. U.S.YA.

INSTRUCTIONS 7 ATTZNEY Patented Oct. 16, 1945 uNiro STATES PATENT OFFICE SHEET FOLDING John William Cordell, Oklahoma cit Okla.

Application April 24, 1944,. Serial No. 532,510

3 Claims.

This invention relates to sheet folding, and more particularly to the folding of a single sheet of paper to form a combination envelope and sealed voting ballot enclosed by the envelope.

The present absentee voting law in many States requires that the absent voter be furnished with a blank voting ballot; an. envelope for returning the ballot under seal; a blank affidavit of voting qualification; a blank power of attorney authorizing some person in the home precinct to cast the ballot; a sheet of instructions; and a copy of the absentee voting'l aw. In addition to the above listed papers; the proper election board must also send the absent voter an envelope for returning the papers, and when the outside envelope in which the papers are mailed is in:- cluded in the total, it is found that the total is made up of three envelopes and five papers which must be transmitted; to the absent voter. Of these, the voter must return the ballot sealed in an envelope; the power of attorney; the.- affldavit; andthe envelope of transmittal, or a total of two envelopes and three papers.

The above totals are formulated upon the presumption that onl one ballot is to be voted by the absent voter. Obviously, there would usually be. two or more of such ballots to be cast, and the total papers would be thereby increased.

The Secretary of War and the. Secretary of the Navy have requested that all States limit the maximum weight of such papers as may be transmitted through the mails to enable a single absentee voter to cast his ballot to eight-tenths of one ounce. In order to come within this weight. limit, the above listed papers must be printed upon very thin and light paper. It is also pointed out that the necessary papers, now used to enable an absentee to cast his ballot, must be printed separately. These requests and the principle underlying them have been approved by. the 7st Congress (2nd Session) as follows:

(e) It is further recommended that the several States, in order to reduce the Weight and bulk of air transport of absentee voting material being sent to persons to whom this act is applicable, reduce in size and weight of paper, as much as possible, envelopes, ballots, and instructions for voting procedure.

It is the prime object of the present invention to so design a single sheet of paper, that it may be printed front and back, with one printing operation for each, and when properly folded and sealed, will fulfill all of the offices now being carried out by the various papers above mentioned, except the outside envelope in which the papers are originally sent to the absentee voter.

In so doing the printing cost is reduced, paper is saved, and the maximum paper weight under the postage regulations allowed by the law, is complied with, without reducing the thickness of the paper to an extent falling below practicability.

Another result intended tobe accomplished by the present invention, is the elimination of a chance that the absentee voter may inadvert ently fail to return all of the required papers. Should this occur, it would not likely be discovered until the voting day which would be too late to correct the; error, and would result in loss of his voting privilege.

One principal object of the invention is to pro 7 ve-lope.

Other objects will be apparent from the accompanying description when taken in con-nection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is aperspective view showing the inside face of the article as it appears when opened; and,

Figure 2 is a similar view of the outside surface of the article.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in both the figures.

In the drawing:

The reference numeral l indicates as a whole a flat blank, preferably paper, out to form a central panel 2', a left hand panel 3 integrally joined to the edge of the central panel 2, and a right hand panel 4 integrally joined to the right hand edge of said central panel 2. The upper edge of the central panel 2 is an elongation or extension 5, which forms a sealing tab or flap as will be more fully described hereinbelow. The inside faces of the panels 2 and 3, which are those faces shown in Fig. 1, are adapted to receive a printed ballot. The upper, lower, and left hand edges of the left hand panel 3 may be gummed, or only the left hand edge portions may be gummed as shown at 6 so that when the panel is folded over the central panel 2 by being bent along the line I, the panel 3 may be sealed flatly against the central panel 2, as indicated by the arrow at the left central portion of Fig. 1. The next fold to be made in preparing the folder for mailing is to bend the right hand panel 4 along the dotted line 8 in the direction to bring the panel 4 flatly over the previously folded left hand panel'3. The last operation in completing the folder \for mailing is tobend the sealing tab or flap downwardly over the upper portion of the outside or rear surfaces of the panels 3 and 4, and seal it in place by moistening the gummed portion l9 of the sealing tab or flap 5. In the folder above described the right hand panel 4 is adapted to bear the voters qualifying affidavit on one side and a power of attorney on the opposite side or face authorizing some person to cast the vote. When the folder has been sealed as above described it will be seen that the person to whom the missile has been addressed may cut with a pen knife along the line HI, and by so doing he will release the panel 4 so that it may The upper portion of the right hand panel l (Fig. l) is line perforated horizontally as shown by the line 20, and this perforated line 29 forms a small panel 2| adapted to bear the voters return address upon its inside or front face. The rear face of the small panel 2 I, which is the face shown in Fig. 2, has its edge portions 22 covered with gummed mucilage. After the folder has been sealed for mailing the panel 2| is torn along the line 28 and the gummed rim 22 is stuck to the outside face of the panel 2 and bears the senders return address. This portion 2| can then be. torn off before the ballot is dropped into the ballot box so that the identification of the sender will not be known to the person counting the vote.

From the above description it is thought to be evident that a voting ballot has been provided wherein the amount of paper has been saved and conserved to the minimum, and which will eliminate several printing operations in that it can be printed front and back in only two operations.

The embodiment is such that various amounts of space can be provided according to the amount of printing required, and it is evident that the principle herein disclosed could possibly be used for printed matter other than the voting ballot, instructions, affidavit, power of attorney, and absentee voting laws, or rules Having thus described my invention, what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

I claim:

1. A combination envelope and voting ballot comprising a single sheet body blank, creased, out and folded to form: a central panel; a sec-- ond panel formed at one edge of said central panel and adapted to be folded over said central panel; a gummed edge portion carried by the free side edge of said second panel for sealing the same in such folded position against the cen-- tral panel; a removable third panel formed at the other edge of said central panel and adapted to be foldedover said second panel; a scored line at the junction of said central and third panels whereby the third panel may be torn off; a flap at one edge of said central panel adapted to be folded over the three panels; a gummed portion along the free edge of the flap for sealing the panels in their folded positions; a horizontal line of perforations extending across the third panel separating it into two portions, one side of the upper portion being gummed whereby it may be torn along the perforated line, be folded around the edge of the central panel, and be pasted thereto for hearing a'return address.

2. A combination envelope and Voting ballot comprising a. single sheet body blank, creased, cut and folded to form: a central panel; a gummed portion along one edge thereof whereby it may be folded upon itself and sealed in such folded position; a second panel formed at one side edge of the central panel and adapted to be folded over the central panel; and a horizontal line of perforations extending across the second panel separating it into upper and lower portions, one side of the upper portion being gummed whereby it may be torn along the perforated line, be folded around the edge of the central panel, and be pasted thereto for bearing a return postal address.

3. A combination envelope and voting ballot comprising a single sheet body blank, creased, cut and folded to form: a central panel; a gummed portion along one edge thereof whereby it may be folded upon itself and sealed in such folded position; a second panel formed at one side edge of the central panel and adapted t6 be folded over the central panel; a horizontal line of perforations extending across the second panel separating it into upper and lower portions, one side of the upper portion being gummed whereby it may be torn along the perforated line, be folded around the edge of the central panel, and be pasted thereto for bearing a return postal address; a flap at the upper end edge of the central panel adapted to be folded over the two panels; and a gummed portion along the free edge of said tflap for sealing the panels in their folded posiions.

JOHN WILLIAM CORDELL. 

